Aramal glared at Ussin, but stepped back, dropped his staff, and went to Ritathan.
“Let’s get him into the house,” Orval ordered, and men started to move, even as Ussin lowered his shield and mace.Aramal cradled his head, and the others gently lifted him from the ground and headed toward the door.
“Yfin,” Jerrold called.“Take my horse.Fetch the healer.”
Yfin sheathed his daggers and in the next instant was up on the horse and galloping down the road.
“Come,” Rosalind put an arm around Halithe’s shoulder.Her touch was warm against Halithe’s cold numbness.
“The girl stays here,” Ussin growled.
“She needs to get cleaned up, and get her things,” Rosalind snapped.
“I stand as surety,” Orval said.“You need to be dealing with your dead.”
“Aye.”Ussin hooked his mace to his belt and shouldered his shield.“I’ll need a hand, heaving them up and tying them to saddles.”
“You’ll have it,” Roth said.
“Under watchful eyes,” Rasfel said, his crossbow cocked and ready.“You’re too fast with that mace for trust.No offense.”
Rosalind escorted Halithe toward the manor.
“Don’t forget his chains, and that Ring,” Ussin called as the door closed behind them.
As if she could.
The kitchen was oddly the same, the smell of the soup, the warmth of the fire.Nothing had changed.
Everything had changed.
Rosalind hustled her through the room and up the stairs.“Quickly,” she said.“Wash your face and hands and see to your hair.”
There was a bustle down the hall, at her Papa’s room.She could hear Aramal’s voice and took a step in that direction.
“See to yourself,” Rosalind said.“I’ll check on him.Get the blood off your hands.”
Halithe nodded numbly, going to the bathing chamber and doing just that, scrubbing hard.The water was cold at first, but Halithe stuck her hands in anyway, watching the water run red.Her heart was pounding, and while her hands moved in obedience, she shook inside.
Her bracelet clinked at the stone of the basin, and she paused, staring at it.It was still active.
Forterran’s mother, the Mage Ila, could maintain a portal in her sleep.So that must mean…she took a breath.He lived.She’d bought him time.
She closed her eyes and steeled herself with that thought.The healer would see to him and he would be fine.
She started to braid her hair, catching it in her hands as she headed to her room.She pulled her bags from under the bed and started packing.
A knock, and Rosalind entered, her arms filled with Ritathan’s silk robes.“Rye is still breathing,” she said.“They’ve settled him in his room.Here, put this on.”
“It’s too long,” Halithe protested even as she shed her tunic.
“We’ll belt it up,” Rosalind said.“I brought some black gloves to hide your hands.”
“Why?”Halithe asked.
“He’ll most like take you direct to the Palace,” Rosalind said.“They don’t know what you’ve been doing or what you have learned.Showing up as a farm child will serve you ill.Showing up as an apprentice?They will hesitate.Use that to whatever advantage you can.”
Halithe nodded and started to pull on the silks.She checked to make sure her keepsake was safe in her breastband before pulling on the robes.Touching it made her pause for a moment.Caris.She would see Caris again.
